None of this is particularly new and this habit of acquiring competitors or influencing them from afar is nothing out of the ordinary. Take SAP for example and consider the information below. That ought to explain why SAP 'approves' Novell Linux (or “endorses” it).

THEIL: How close were you to getting bought by Microsoft?

[SAP's] KAGERMANN: Microsoft approached us about a possible merger late last year [but] after a series of talks called it off because it would have been too complex. There was never a deal on the table.

A few months ago, in the midst of Microsoft’s bid for Yahoo, a suggestion came up urging for a SAP takeover. It’s very clear that these companies are very close and SAP’s Shai Agassi (more here), has even had his enormous share of attacks on Free software over the years. So why would SAP be interesting in replacing UNIX with Linux? And why Novell? Why after its certification for Red Hat? Quite simply, Microsoft plays a role.

For SAP to work with Microsoft and Novell would only be natural. It’s a case of telling them to buy Linux only if they really have to and only to buy it from Novell (‘Microsoft Linux’) so that the money goes to Microsoft and a message is sent t say that “Linux is not free.” Remember that Microsoft cannot extract money from UNIX or Red Hat.

In many ways, Novell is already Microsoft’s Linux subsidiary. It may only be a matter of time before those companies get a lot closer. Need Novell receive the benefit of the doubt until that day? █

“Our partnership with Microsoft continues to expand.”

–Ron Hovsepian, Novell CEO

Share this post:These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.

The lunacy of the EPO with its patent maximalism will likely go unchecked (and uncorrected) if Battistelli gets his way and turns the EPO into another SIPO (Croatian in the human rights sense and Chinese in the quality sense)

Another long installment in a multi-part series about UPC at times of post-truth Battistelli-led EPO, which pays the media to repeat the lies and pretend that the UPC is inevitable so as to compel politicians to welcome it regardless of desirability and practicability

Implementing yet more of his terrible ideas and so-called 'reforms', Battistelli seems to be racing to the bottom of everything (patent quality, staff experience, labour rights, working conditions, access to justice etc.)

"Good for trolls" is a good way to sum up the Unitary Patent, which would give litigators plenty of business (defendants and plaintiffs, plus commissions on high claims of damages) if it ever became a reality

Microsoft's continued fascination with and participation in the effort to undermine Alice so as to make software patents, which the company uses to blackmail GNU/Linux vendors, widely acceptable and applicable again